PITTSBURGH, PA. and LENEXA, KAN., October 7, 2021 – The National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) and ACA Connects – America’s Communications Association (ACAC) completed their second virtual Independent Show (#TIS21) on Oct 5 & 6. The eight-hour, invitation-only event over two days brought together more than 500 industry professionals from across the U.S. for thought-provoking sessions.
Show highlights include:
- Award-winning author Jeremy Gutsche’s Tuesday keynote address discussing innovation during an uncertain time.
- Above the Fold: The Most Important Decisions Operators Will Face Over the Next 5 Years presented attendees with a thoughtful look at what operators should be investing in and focusing on for the next 5 years.
- Normalizing the Chaos; Managing your Business Eco-system in an Uncertain Time looked at how broadband and pay-TV providers across the country are implementing changes to provide the nearly seamless ability for Americans to live, work, learn and play from the comfort of their own homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Wednesday Keynote Speaker: Beth Ford, President & CEO of Land O’Lakes, Inc.
- ACA Connects’ Update on New Broadband Programs and Regulations took a close look at major policy initiatives being pursued in Washington, D.C., including Congress’ bipartisan efforts to enact a broadband infrastructure package that includes $65 billion in new funding, and examined the opportunities and challenges this legislation would create for operators. This session also covered the latest from the FCC and looked ahead to what may be coming soon in broadband regulation.
- The NCTC session, The Path to Multigigabit Broadband: The Where, Why and When, featured experts from three NCTC supplier partners, CCI Systems, CommScope and AdTran, discussing the benefits and drawbacks of hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) versus passive optical network (PON) technology, helping attendees plan a technology roadmap that will allow them to meet the evolving needs of customers in an increasingly competitive landscape.
- NCTC gave attendees an update on recent enhancements to its managed Wi-Fi program, announcing the addition of TP-Link as a new supplier partner offering members affordable pricing on some of the highest-rated and most popular consumer and small business Wi-Fi products in the industry.
“I am so proud of the ACAC-NCTC team – in addition to our members, programmers and technology companies – for their outstanding support for this year’s Independent Show. The energy, the dedication, and the resolve to make this show one of the best ever were evident for everyone to see and demonstrated just how special we should all view the independent video and broadband community. Thank you! And see you next year – in person, I hope!” said ACA Connects Chairman Patricia Jo Boyers, who is President of BOYCOM Vision in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
“NCTC and ACA Connects executed a world-class event for our members. The content, speakers and engagement during the show were equivalent to an in-person event and while we all miss the getting together and catching up, sharing ideas and best practices, great information was delivered. Members can take this information and apply it to their business tomorrow and into the future. We are living in unpreceded times and now more than ever it’s important to understand industry trends,” said NCTC Chairman Brad Mefferd.
“The show was a success! We had a great turnout of members and suppliers. The sessions were executed flawlessly, and our members walked away with some phenomenal tips and techniques to help their businesses not only from a day-to-day perspective, but also to aid future planning to foster growth of their business,” said Lou Borrelli, CEO of NCTC.
ACA Connects’ President and CEO Matt Polka said, “This year’s Independent Show – virtual for the second year in a row – illustrated that ACA Connects and NCTC members continue to address the challenges of broadband deployment in rural America and respond rapidly to change in the fast-moving digital marketplace. Our members deliver for their communities, especially with focused and superior customer service. I want to offer a special thanks to everyone within the ACA Connects-NCTC family for putting on a winning conference, complete with informative speakers, engaging topics and an exchange of important ideas. One of these days we shall meet in person.”
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About the National Cable Television Cooperative: The National Cable Television Cooperative, Inc. (NCTC) is a Kansas-based, not-for-profit corporation that operates as a programming, broadband solutions and hardware purchasing organization for its member companies who own and operate cable systems throughout the U.S. and its territories. NCTC seeks to maximize current and future opportunities to ensure the profitability, competitive stature, and long-term sustainability of its member companies. NCTC represents more than 700 small and mid-sized independent cable and broadband operators across the U.S., in programming and technology acquisition. NCTC is actively engaged in helping network providers and suppliers evolve their business models to deploy new video/data solutions to match the changes in the media landscape.
About ACA Connects: America’s Communications Association – Based in Pittsburgh, ACA Connects is a trade organization representing more than 600 smaller and medium-sized, independent companies that provide broadband, phone and video services to nearly 8 million customers primarily located in rural and smaller suburban markets across America. Through active participation in the regulatory and legislative process in Washington, D.C., ACA Connects’ members work together to advance the interests of their customers and ensure the future competitiveness and viability of their businesses. For more information, visit: https://www.acaconnects.org